Everything you need to know about Intel’s 8th-generation mobile chips

The processors feature the same Intel HD graphics cores used on the previous-generation Kaby Lake processors, and support 4K video playback.

Intel has currently only launched four 8th-generation processors – comprising two Core i7 and two Core i5 chips.

The CPUs will be available inside notebooks and laptops within the next month, with more chips launching later this year.

Specifications

The processors all boast four physical CPU cores, eight threads, and a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of only 15W.

In addition to more CPU cores and boosted graphics performance, Intel 8th-generation processors also feature improved I/O support – allowing manufacturers to create devices with more high-bandwidth ports, such as Thunderbolt 3.

The specifications of Intel’s new 8th-generation mobile processors are below.

Specifications

Core i7-8650U

Core i7-8550U

Core i5-8350U

Core i5-8250U

Cores

4

4

4

4

Threads

8

8

8

8

Base Clock

1.9GHz

1.8GHz

1.7GHz

1.6GHz

Boost Clock

4.2GHz

4.0GHz

3.6GHz

3.4GHz

Cache

8MB

8MB

6MB

6MB

GPU Clock

1,150MHz

1,150MHz

1,100MHz

1,100MHz

Architecture and Performance

While the four new chips bear the 8th-generation designation, they are based on the same CPU architecture used in the chipmaker’s 7th-generation Kaby Lake processors.

According to Intel, 8th-generation chips could also include products based on its upcoming 10nm Cannonlake and 14nm Coffee Lake architectures.

The company said its new mobile products boasts a performance improvement of up to 40% over the previous generation of processors, however.

This performance improvement is the result of, among other improvements, improved clock speeds and further optimisation of the 14nm manufacturing process. The new Core i5 chips also offer an increased physical core count.

Editing video footage on a mobile 8th-gen chip is almost 15-times faster compared to its predecessors, according to Intel’s benchmarks, and the battery life when watching 4K video is greatly improved.

Devices powered by Intel’s 8th-gen Core i5 and Core i7 processors will be available in September 2017, and will be followed by devices with 10nm processors later this year.

This article first appeared on MyBroadband and is republished with permission.